September 24, 2012
September 24, 2012
Living near the Mexican border we are sometimes overrun by visitors from the South. We were reminded today how easily the border is crossed.
I setup three Hummingbird feeders so Aimee can watch those colorful little birds while working in the kitchen. The last few days she has had to refill them with sugar solution every morning. It can’t be the tiny hummingbirds. Something bigger must be getting into them overnight. It didn’t take us long to discover the culprits. Peering out the window in the dusk she saw shadows swooping up from below past the feeders. Bats! Lots of bats. I got the camera out, popped up the flash and pointed it out the window in the direction of the closest feeder. I pressed the shutter when Aimee saw a shadow move. After a dozen photos we caught a few of the criminals in the act.
With the aid of an Internet search I identified them as the Lesser Long-Nosed Bat. Unlike most bats, they don’t eat insects but feed on the nectar of cacti. They come from Mexico in the beginning of summer when the Saguaros start to bloom. They use their long tongues to gather the sweet juices. On their way back to Mexico in the early Fall, they commonly will stop at Hummingbird feeders. Unfortunately their feet are backwards so they can’t perch on our feeders. Instead they have to be quick and nimble to get a sip. Our nighttime visitors give Aimee the creeps. I convinced her they need energy for their return migration, so she agreed to keep filling the feeders. They are on a strict limit though. We already have too many residents in this country addicted to free handouts.
Living near the Mexican border we are sometimes overrun by visitors from the South. We were reminded today how easily the border is crossed.
With the aid of an Internet search I identified them as the Lesser Long-Nosed Bat. Unlike most bats, they don’t eat insects but feed on the nectar of cacti. They come from Mexico in the beginning of summer when the Saguaros start to bloom. They use their long tongues to gather the sweet juices. On their way back to Mexico in the early Fall, they commonly will stop at Hummingbird feeders. Unfortunately their feet are backwards so they can’t perch on our feeders. Instead they have to be quick and nimble to get a sip. Our nighttime visitors give Aimee the creeps. I convinced her they need energy for their return migration, so she agreed to keep filling the feeders. They are on a strict limit though. We already have too many residents in this country addicted to free handouts.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 11:02 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home